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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · board · leaves · stem · swing · face · rest · dip

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rest — a break
  4. face — part of the head
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. dip — to sink
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. swing — to play on
  13. board — a committee
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. face — to confront
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. swing — in golf
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com